Dear Friends

It’s time for us to bid goodbye to the old year 2004 and ring in the New Year 2005. As we do so, many must be taking stock of the Balance Sheet of  their life both personally and professionally in terms of  what they “Debited” and what they “Credited” to their Accounts / Life.

Most of us must be repenting and regretting  that yet another 12 months of a full year went by so quickly without even realizing how it went.  It is time for us to recall and evaluate ourselves – to see if we need to improve the quality of our life in material or moral values. Most of  us lose courage when we fail, and retract into our shell – but life has its ups and downs and in the words of  Brooke Foss Westcott

 “Great occasions do not make  heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently and imperceptibly as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; an at last some crisis shows what we have become “

Women Vision brings to you – Vijaylaxmi Manelkar – currently the Assistant General Manager of one of the main branch units of the State Bank of India at Kankanady. Having joined the SBI as a probationary officer, she has worked in different branches in Bombay, Mangalore Goa and Karwar and feels that she has been an instrument in brining about a change in the dynamic field of finance. “Competition excites me and goads me to perform better:”| says Vijaylaxmi Manelkar with her efficacious smile.

Vijaylaxmi (Viji) born to V.L. Kamath and (late) Meera Kamath was born and brought up in a middle class family in Mumbai. She is ever grateful to both her parents for the strength and support to reach where she is today.

Viji did her schooling from one of the oldest and most reputed schools of Bombay – the Bombay Scottish School and stood first in her school by topping the  ICSE School Leaving Exam in the year1976.

She graduated in B.Com and again did her College proud by bagging the 1st rank in Podar College, Bombay University. She appeared for the  CAIIB examination and performed a hatrick by once again bagging the 1st rank at an CAIIB Part I all- India exam in 1982.

Viji was selected by the Rotary International to represent India at the Group Study Exchange Programme to Brazil in 1995. She enjoyed the experience of her trip abroad.

Petite and charming in nature, one would surely mistake her for a college student. She is very modest and genuine by nature and is well loved and admired by her colleagues and friends. Having married Anil  of the very well known and affluent business families of Mangalore, they have been blessed with a son Rahul. Viji shares a wonderful rapport too with her mother in law Suguna and one would never feel the “Mother in law – daughter in law” hitches seeing the wonderful rapport they both share.

At work Viji has never felt any gender discrimination and has enjoyed respect and a sense of complete fulfillment of work.

“ A working woman is a complete woman today. She balances her time optimally between her home and office. She great time management skills. She is very adjusting both at home and at work and can fulfill the expectations of her employer as well as her family. I recommend that woman should take up careers of their choice and if married, start families when they are young, this will help in devoting more time to children when one is at the threshold of one’s career and can take up greater responsibilities at work when Children grow older. I strongly believe that family comes first in one’s social obligations and one must involve the family members as well if one is interested in taking up larger social obligations” says Viji –  and she definitely practices what she preaches and is a true witness of it all.

In her special message to Women Vision as we usher in a New Year s